On these beautiful days, in isolation on the mountain, as the
pandemic grows and the economy shrinks, I find myself remembering this koan based on a parable the Buddha told:
A man crossing a field encountered a tiger. He ran and the tiger bounded after him. Soon the man came to the edge of a steep cliff. With no other way to escape, he grabbed a vine that hung there and leaped over the edge. Then he swung there, halfway down.
Above him, the tiger watched and pawed at the vine. The man shuddered and looked down. At the base of the cliff paced another tiger.
Two mice, one black and one white began to nibble at the vine. Looking up, looking down, the man saw a little strawberry plant growing out of the cliff beside him. Its berries were ripe red and fragrant. He reached out a hand and picked one.
How sweet it tasted!
